Amusement device



Dec. 5, 1939. J. s. COMPTON AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Feb. 20, 1939 If D FIG.2

Patented Dec. 5, 1939 PATENT OFFICE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Justin S. Compton, OakWood, Ohio, assignorof one-half to Henry Silbereis, Dayton, Ohio Application February 20, 1939, Serial No. 257,360'

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an amusement, or skill game, apparatus comprising a moving target.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an amusement, or skill game, apparatus in which a swinging member, in the form of a pendulum, is provided with a vacuum cup pendulum bob at its free end, which vacuum cup oscillates with the pendulum adjacent a smooth area on a game board, so that, if said vacuum cup be struck a sudden blow, such as from a shot from a rifie or pistol, it is forced against the smooth area and is attached thereto at various positions thereon, said positions having different scoring values.

It is a further object of the invention to divide the apparatus into scoring areas having different values each associated with the relative velocity of the pendulum.

It is an object of the invention to construct the skill game of materials suitable for use with highpower rifles in amusement parks, for use with lower-power rifles-in homes, and for use with toy guns or rifles, such as air rifles, as an amusement device for children.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

Of said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the skill game or amusement device.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the skill game or amusement device taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the skill game or amusement device, showing its use in diagrammatic form.

Fig. 4 is a detail View showing a modified form of mounting for the swinging member, or pendulum.

General description This invention comprises a skill game, or amusement device, in which there is provided a back board having sectorshaped areas, each sector being given an arbitrary relative value. A swinging member, in the form of a pendulum, is mounted on the back board, and the swinging member is provided with apendulum bob in the form of a vacuum cup at its free end to consti- 5 tute a moving target. A smoothly finished area is provided on the back board adjacent the path of travel of the vacuum cup. The pendulum is started swinging and the player, standingat a distance, takes aim and fires at the moving vacuum cup target with any desired projecting de- 5. vice, such as a rifle or pistol. If the projectile strikes the target, it forces the vacuum cup against the smoothly finished area and causes the vacuum cup to be attached thereto. The graduated area in line with the cup where it is attached indicates the players score. As the pendulum moves with greater'velocity at the bottom of the swing, the score for stopping the pendulum there is greater than at the ends of the swing. For convenience in scoring points, a 1 counter is mounted at the top of the board.

The bearing of the pendulum is so constructed that the vacuum cup will be free of the smoothly finished area while oscillating, but permits movement of the vacuum cup toward the back 20 board upon beingstruck by the projectile.

Detailed description The back board comprises a main frame l0 provided with abearing to receive a short shaft 25 II, having a collar l2 on one end and a swinging member, or pendulum, [3 on its other end. The shaft II is slightly smaller in diameter than the opening in which the shaft rocks, to permit the lower end of the pendulum to move toward 30 the frame I0. A light spring 14 maintains the pendulum IS in vertical position while the pendulum swings. As illustrated herein, an adjustable counterweight is provided at the upper end of the pendulum 13 to give greater inertia to 35 the pendulum swing and to regulate its speed. However, it is not intended to limit the invention to this method of swinging the pendulum, since any other means can be used, such as a spring-actuated escapement, or a clock mech- 40 anism.

A vacuum cup l5, preferably made of pliable rubber, is secured to the lower end of the pendulum, which travels in a path adjacent a smoothly finished plate I 6 mounted on the main 45 frame In, which vacuum cup forms a moving target. When a high-powered rifle is used in playing the game, a protecting disk 9 is provided on the target side of the pendulum. .The plate l6 extends in an arc across the board be 0 tween the edges of a border member H. The area between the said. edges of the member I! above the plate I6 is marked with lines radiating from the pivot point of the pendulum, forming radial sectors. The areas between the lines ar given arbitrary relative values, such as, for example, 2, 4, 6, and 8, in the manner shown in Fig. 1, to indicate the difficulty of hitting the target at that point. However, any valuation, symbol, or designation can be assigned to these areas.

The pendulum can also be mounted on the back board in the manner shown in Fig. 4, where a spring I8. is shown attached to the pendulum. The spring 13 bears against the shaft H in such a manner that the pendulum is normally held at right angles to the shaft. A collar I9 is pro-- vided to hold the pendulum in position. on,. the shaft H.

The construction of the'bearing. need not be limited to the two forms illustrated, but any construction that permits both the oscillating movement, and the movement toward the board, may be used.

Any form of easel may be provided to maintain the game board invertical position. For convenience in' packing or storing the device, a memberlll may be hinged at the top and a horizontal member 2! may be hinged at the bottom of. the board as illustrated in Fig. 3. If the game isto be permanently installed, as, for example, in amusement parks, no easel is required, since in such installations the game can be mounted in any suitable manner.

The arcuate surface It can be made of any material suitable for use with any projecting device, providedit is sufficiently hard and smooth. As illustrated in Fig. 3, a rifle 22 is used. If a high-poweredrifie is to be used, a material such as steel must be used. If an air rifle is to be used, a comparatively softer material may be used. 'Ihependu-lum bob may be provided with a protecting surface on the target side, as indicated by. disk 9. 7

Counting wheels 23 and-24 are rotatably mounted at the upper corners of the board for convenience in keeping score.

Operation In using the skill game device, it is set up in a vertical. position as shown-in Fig.3. The player takes a position at any desired distance from the board. The pendulum is oscillated and then the player takes aim at the swinging vacuum cup, or protecting disk 9, which forms a moving target, and fires. If he hits'the target, the vacuum cup willbeforced against the board and will adhere thereto. The position which the pendulum occupies when stopped determines the score made by the-player, which score is added on the counter wheels. Each player can be given any number of turns' and the score can be added in the counter-wheels.

While the form of embodiment herein shown and described-is admirablyadapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it isnot intended to confine the invention-to the one form or embodiment herein disclosed, for itissusceptible of embodiment in various forms, allcoming within the scope of the claims which follow:

What is claimed is:

1. A game of skill comprising a backboard having a central point with scoring zones marked thereon in sectors radiating from the said central point; a shaft mounted perpendicularly to the board at the central point; a pendulum mounted on the shaft so as to normally swing parallel to the backboard a slight distance therefrom but having the free end movable towards the board; a vacuum cup pendulum bob attached to the free end of the pendulum having the cup end facing the board; and an arcuate' piece. of hardmaterial having a flat surface mounted in the board so as to furnish a sealing surface for said vacuum cup when forced toward the board at any position of thependulum whereby the vacuum cup will adhere to the flat surface and stop the pendulum.

2. A game adapted to be played with projectiles comprising in combination a scoring board;

a pendulum to oscillate in front of the scoring board but having the lower end thereof free to be moved to the board; and a vacuum cup pendulum bob attached to the lower end of thependulumwhereby, being struck by a projectile, it is carried against the board so as to be attached thereto stopping the pendulum at a certain score.

3. In an apparatus of the class described adapted to be played with projectiles, the combination of a scoreboard; an oscillating member mounted on-the scoreboard "to oscillate adjacent the scoreboard and toward the scoreboard; and a device on the oscillating member for attaching the member to the scoreboard when the member is struck bya projectile.

4. In an apparatus of the class described adapted to be played with projectiles, the combination of a scoreboard divided into areas of varying valuations; an oscillatory member mounted onthe scoreboard to oscillate past said areasat constantly varying speed, the valuations of the areas being greater at-the position of greatest speed of the member; and a vacuum cup on the member for attaching the member to the score- L oscillate in front of the scoreboard; amounting for thependulum constructed to allow the pendulum to oscillate and to allow the free end of the pendulum to move toward the scoreboard; a vacuum cup mounted at the free end of the pendulum; and a pendulum bob mounted on the pendulum in front of the vacuum cup to provide a protecting shield for the vacuum cup when the shield is struck by a projectile, said vacuum cup being carried against the board and attached thereto when the bob is struck by a projectile.

6. In an apparatus of the class described adapted to be played with projectiles, the combination of a scoreboard divided into sectors each having a valuation for scoring; a pendulum oscillating'adjacent the sectors; a vacuum cup bob on the pendulum; and a mounting for the pendulum constructed to permit movement of the vacuum cup bobtoward the sectors so as to be attached to the board when struck by a projectile, said valuations being-greater adjacent the bobs travel at the bottom of the pendulum swing where the speed of travel of the bob is the greatest.

JUSTIN. S. COMPTON., 

